Machine for finishing the pages to be dealt with in bookbinding machines



May 1,, 1951 J. A. E. BUR

MACHINE FOR ISHIN THE PAGES T E DEALT WITH BOO NDING MACHI Filed Aug. 1, 1947 8 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR gbemaaaweo ATTO NEY y 1951 J. A. E. BURLS 2,551,557

MACHINE FOR FINISHING THE PAGES TO BE DEALT WITH IN BOOKBINDING MACHINES Filed Aug. 1, 1947 a Sheets-Sheet 2 BYMM ATTO NEY y 1, 1951 J. A. E. BURLS 2,551,557 MACHINE FOR FINISHING THE PAGES TO BE DEALT WITH IN BOOKBINDING MACHINES 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 1, 1947 //V VEN TOR ATTORNEY May 1951 J. A. E. BURLS 2,551,557 v' MACHINE FOR FINISHING THE PAGES TO BE DEALT WITH IN BOOKBINDING MACHINES 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 1, 1947 a6. 7624A ii May 1,1951 J. A. E. BURLS MACHINE FOR FINISHING THE PAGES TO BE DEALT WITH IN BOOKBINDING MACHINES 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 1, 1947 ATTORNEY 2,551,557 DEALT May 1,, 1951 J. A. E. BURLS MACHINE FDR FINISHING THE PAGES TO BE WITH IN BOOKBINDING MACHINES 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Aug. 1, 1947 May 1, 1951 J. A. E. BURLS MACHINE FOR FINISHING THE PAGES TO BE DEALT WITH IN BOOKBINDING MACHINES 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed Aug. 1, 1947 May 1, 1951 J. A. E. BURLS MACHINE FOR FINISHING THE PAGES TO BE DEALT WITH IN BOOKBINDING MACHINES 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed Aug. 1, 1947 ATTOF? FY Patented May 1, 1951 MACHENE FQR FINISHING THE PAGES TO BE DEALT WITH IN EOOKBINDING MA- CHINE S John Albert Edward Burls, Frinton on Sea, Engiand, assignor to B. Hoe & Q0. 1110., New York, N. Y, a corporation of New York Application August 1, 1947, Serial No. 765,571 In Great Britain April 6, 1946 9 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a machine for finishing the pages to be dealt with in a bookbinding machine, fully described. and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings forming a part of the same.

It is at the present time the usual practice to assemble signatures (or sheets) to be bound and in order to form a clean edge to pass them to a guillotine machine which operates to make a shear cut of the edges of the associated signatures. These guillotine machine which may have three cutters mutually at 90 to each other tend to slow down the rate of production for the reason among other things that they operate with a reciprocating motion.

The main object of this invention is to provide a mechanism which will enable the rate of production of finished signatures to be increased and this object is achieved broadly stated by providing rotary cutters which operate in the manner of milling cutters to prepare and finish the edges of the signatures. Thus to finish the three edges of a collection of signatures three rotary cutters would be employed one for each edge. The cutters would usually operate on assembled signatures as they are advanced on a table past the cutters. The signatures could be supplied to the table from a hopper from one end of which a predetermined number or bunch of signatures would at intervals pass to the table at a level different from that of the hopper. Having arrived at this table this bundle of signatures is pressed forward by a pusher against reaction blades which are at this stage disposed behind the rearmost end of the signatures already on the table: these fingers, which are tapered, are then withdrawn from a position between the signatures whereup-.

on the pusher mechanism operates to advance the last bundle up to the preceding signatures. At the forward end of this table is employed a delivery Which would generally be such as to ofier some resistance to movement of the signature so that the pusher and the reaction blades can exert some pressure on the signatures to enable satisfactory cutting to be effected.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view prepared to illustrate diagrammatically the main operating parts of a machine to carry the invention into practical effect, Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation showing the signature cutting assembly, Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of mechanism provided to take signatures from a supply zone or hopper and todeliver 2 them to the feed table, this figure also illustrating the mechanism to advance the signatures along the feed table and past the rotary cutters shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 4A is a detailed view showing the drive mechanism employed, Figs. 58 are detailed'views of the advancing mechanism, Figs. 5-7 showing the mechanism in different positions while Fig. 8 is an elevation of the mechanism and Figs. 9, 9A and 10 are respectively sectional elevations and plan view of a mechanism to co-operate with the advancing mechanism to hold signatures while the advancing mechanism is retracting.

Figs. 11 and 12 are tvo diagrammatic side elevations of a modified form of delivery to take away signatures after they have been cut or trimmed.

Reference will first be made to Fig. l in which the signatures are indicated at S, these signatures being advanced along a table '1' (Fig. 2) by a pusher B which is reciprocated, the requisite packing of the signatures on the table being maintained (while the pusher B is retracted) by holding fingers or arms C which are moved in step with the operation of the pusher B so as to move clear of the pusher as it advances on its feeding stroke.

The action of the pusher B is to recede to enable a fresh collection of signatures such a collection being indicated at D to be laid in front of it so as, on the advancing movement of the pusher it advances that collection D and in so doing advances the line E of signatures.

The line E of signatures is thus caused to advance progressively as fresh collections D are added while the leading signatures are caused by the advancement to be taken by a delivery arrangement.

While the signatures in the line E are advanced, they are caused to pass through rotary cutters Fi, F2 and F3 which are constantly rotated, the cutters are disposed to operate to cut or trim the three free edges of the signatures so that the signatures in the line E are finally delivered with their free edges trimmed.

The cutters Fl, F2 and F3 which may have straight or preferably as shown, helical cutting teeth, are rotated at a high speed and it has been found that signatures so trimmed have a finish equal to that given by the customary guillotine cutting and yet the speed of operation can be very much greater.

Reference will now be made to Figs. 2 and 3 which indicate the manner of driving and adjusting the cutters, F! and F2, which are arranged for individual drive from motors la and lb respectively, and are arranged to be relatively adjustable to handle signatures of difierent sizes (1. e. page dimensions). Thus the vertical cutter Fi and F2 which cut the top and bottom edges of a signature are adjustable towards and away from one another for which purpose these cutters are mounted on spindles 2 journalled in bearings 3 on slides 4, themselves mounted to slide on V guides 5 on the table 8 of the machine. The adjustment is effected by a screw threaded rod 1 having an operating hand wheel la, the rod having right and left hand screw parts so that its rotation causes the slides to move equally towards and away from one another to maintain their equal setting about the centre line of the machine. To permit this adjustment the drive to the cutters FI and F2 from the motors Ia and H) is effected through belts or chains 8a and 81) respectively, which are maintained taut while yet accommodating the movement of the slides by jockey pulleys or gears 9 carried on arms 16 and urged to swing by springs II, the pulleys or gear wheels on the motor spindle and on the spindle 2 being indicated at I and 2 respectively.

The horizontal cutter F is adjustable towards and away from the table supporting the signaturesthis adjustment is effected by supporting the spindle 2 carrying that cutter from a slide [2 slidable on a vertical guide l3 rising from the machine frame hi and this slide is movable on the guide by a screw threaded rod H: which can be turned by a hand wheel 55. Drive to the spindle of this horizontal cutter is effected again by belts or chains ll, operating through an intermediate wheel I8, the upper belt or chain run passing over a jockey pulley 19 on a lever which is spring loaded to keep the desired tension of the belt or chain driving the cutter F.

In order to provide for the removal of the a trimmings which would be formed by the cutting operation, each of the cutters F is housed in a casing 28 which shrouds the cutter except at the desired cutting zone and each casing 20 has an opening 2! for connection to a suction line to evacuate the waste material.

Reference will now be made to Figs. 1, e and 5- 10 which illustrate in detail the apparatus for feeding signatures in stacks or batches of a pre determined number. At the feed end of the table T is an endless flexible chain or belt conveyor 22 which passes around chain wheels or pulles 23 one of which is driving the wheels 2-3, being so positioned as to provide a reception run R, a feed run R and a return run R of which the feed run R passes down vertically at the feed end of the table T.

Spaced at intervals along this conveyor 22 are skeleton pockets 24 each having a spring-clip retaining finger '25. A stack or bunch of signatures is fed to each pocket 24 as it passes on to the reception run R and as the various pockets pass in succession on the vertical feed run R they pass through fingers 25 forming a rearward extension of the table T. At the time the skeleton pockets 24 pass these fingers 26, the bunch of signatures held in the pockets are stripped therefrom and held by the fingers 26 at the end of the table T.

This depositing of the bunch of signatures is timed to occur while the pusher B is in its retracted position so that, as the pusher moves forward on its feeding stroke it encounters the freshly delivered batch of signatures and dis places them along the table T. The preceding batches already on the table are consequently advanced and in this way the signatures S are intermittently moved forward past the cutters F.

For the purpose of holding the signatures S already advanced by the pusher B while that pusher retracts, the holding fingers C are provided. It is necessary to withdraw these fingers as the pusher B advances and to achieve this, fingers C are retracted from the sides of the advancing batches of signatures.

So that there shall be no loss of pressure at the time of the advance of signatures S on the table T the pressure face of the pusher B is grooved at 2'! to accommodate the fingers C which are arranged to move sideways into the grooves 2i and so pass snugly behind the last batch advanced by the pusher B which can then be retracted.

Operation of the pusher B and the fingers C in the required time relationship is effected as follows. The pusher has extending from its rear face a rod 28 slidable in guides 29 (Fig. 4) and coupled by a link 39 to an arm 33 pivoted at 32 and having a roller 33 engaging a box cam 3-3 on a driven shaft 35, the cam being shaped and proportioned to impart the required advance and return movements to the pusher B.

The fingers C are supported by arms 36 (Fig. 9) rising from transverse guide rods 37. The arms (of which only one is shown in full detail) are pivoted at 38 (Figs. 9 and 10) to the free end of arms 39 freely supported on a spindle 4%] to which is secured an arm 4! having a pin which provides an adjustable connection 42 to the arm 39 which has various holes to suit varying signature lengths. Also secured to the spindle 40 is an arm 43 which is disposed to the line of action of a driving bar 44 having a driving notch ii) to engage the arm 43. This bar is moved backwards and forwards by being coupled by a pivot 63 to a slide 4? having a roller 48 engaging a box cam le also secured to the shaft 35 to which the pusher operating cam 34 (Fig. 4) is secured. Hence assuming that the notch d5 (Figs. 9 and 10) in the bar 44 is allowed to engage the arm 43, that arm will be rocked to withdraw the holding fingers C while the pusher B is advancing a fresh batch of signatures and to return the fingers C as the pusher B is about to retract.

Provision is however made to prevent withdrawal of the fingers C in the event that a fresh batch of signatures is not present in front of the pusher: it will be realised that if, in such a circumstance the fingers C were withdrawn, the pressure applied to the series of signatures already on the table T and advancing past the cutters F would be removed with possibly defective cutter action which is best achieved by packing the signatures against one another.

For this reason, the driving bar 44 is controlled as to its eifectiveness by a device which feels whether a new batch is present in front of the pusher B. This feeling device comprises a pin 53 (Figs. 5 and 6) slidable in a guide 58 and pivoted to an arm 51 itself mounted to rock on a fixed pivot shaft 52. The arm 5! is fast with a second arm 55 which is disposed to engage a pin 58 on a lifting rod 57 urged downwardly by a spring 58 and having at its lower end a hook 59 to engage the driving bar 44. Also pivoted on the pivot shaft 52 is a sensing lever 53 which is connected by a spring 54 to the arm 5|. This sensing lever has a nose 63 to be engaged and rocked by the pusher B as it recedes.

The effect of engagement of the nose 60 by the pusher B is to rock thelever 53which in its turn rocks the arms, 51 and 55 through the spring and this projects the feeler to the right from the psition shown in Fig. 6. If now at this time a fresh batch of signatures is present in the pocket 24 which is about to lay a fresh batch on the fingers 26, this batch will provide an obstruction to the forward. movement of the. pin. 50- and in consequence the pin e and the arm 5i will be arrested (as seen in Fig. 7), while the lever 53 in continuing to rock will merely tension the spring 54. The clearance or lost motion between the arm 55 and the pin 58 is such as to enable the pin 50 to be projected into sensing position and if, as described, the pin senses an obstruction then the arm 55 just moves idly up to the pin 56 but does not engage it. The hook 59 is therefore not raised and the driving notch 45 imparts movement to the arm 44 and hence to the holding'fingers C.

If however a batch is not present, then the finger 5t meets no obstruction, the continued movement of the nose 5% continues through the spring 5:3 to rock the arms 5! and 55 as seen in Fig. 5 and now the arm 55 engages and raises the pin 56 which in its turn operates through the rod 51 and hook 59 to lift the driving bar 44 so that its driving notch 85 is held clear of the arm 43. In this condition of the parts when the pusher next advances, the fingers C are not withdrawn and therefore despite the absence of a fresh batch the pressure is maintained.

It has been stated that the signatures S as they pass the cutters F should be under compression for a satisfactor cutting by the cutters. This of course implies that (unless a very long series of signatures S is present on the table '1 so that the inertia would be sufficient) provision should be made to set up a resistance to the delivery of the treated signatures.

In the preferred way of achieving this result, the table '1 can, as seen in Fig. 2 be terminated by a delivery passage the wallsof which are constituted by resilient material such as rubber, or through: Spring loaded gates of metal or other hard material. One of, the walls is indicated at 6| and it will be seen that they diverge from their receptive mouth and this mouth is designed so as to require distention by the signatures S as they pass through, this distention setting up the required resistance.

A modified arrangement is shown in Figs. 11 and 12. In this arrangement there is disposed at the delivery end of the table T a step delivery conveyor which comprises an endless conveyor 62 which passes about wheels 63, 64. On this conveyor are mounted L shaped platforms 65 one of the limbs of the L forming a platform to receive individual signatures from the table T while the other limb, which is vertically disposed as seen in the figures when the platforms are passing on their operative runs, forms a reaction surface against which the signatures S are pressed by the advancing action of the pusher B at the remote end of the table. With this arrangement, each platform will in succession operate to slice a signature from the stream while still affording the required reaction.

In order to provide for a variation of the slicing effect to suit signatures S of different thicknesses, the conveyor assembly can be mounted to swing about the axis of the wheel 53. The effect of swinging the assembly will be, as is seen from Fig. 12 to vary the degree of overlap of the platforms and thus effect a change in the effective surface of the horizontal platforms. which. are;

' the. shaft 35v continuously while the conveyor 22 is operated. intermittently, It will be apparent that the conveyor 22 must be operated at inter?- vals. such, as to carry a fresh batch of signatures into position only while the pusher B is fully. re-. tracted. The cam 34 to operate the pusher hasa dwell portion and while this dwell portion1is:-ef. fective the conveyor 22 is moved. This is achieved by mounting one of the wheels. 23 driving the conveyor, on a shaft 23 which is geared through gearing 23 23 to the driven member 23 of a Geneva motion having slots 23 to receive a, driveing pin 35 on. a driving, and locking disc 35. SB: cured to the shaft 35 which is continuously driven.

What I claim is:

1. To finish the edges. of signatures, apparatus comprising a plurality of rotary cutters, means positioning the cutters to operate respectively on. the edges of the signatures, power means to. I'D-1 tate the cutters, a pusher device to advance. signatures past the cutters, the said device having a grooved pressure face, means to retract and advance the device, means to feed a. supply of signatures ahead of the pressure face when the device. is retracted, holding components to enter '16 grooves in said pressure face to press behind signatures already advanced and to hold those signatures While the pusher is retracted, and means to move the holding components into and out of holding. position in step with the operation of the pusher device.

2. To finish the edges of signatures, apparatus comprising a plurality of rotar cutters, means positioning the cutters to operate respectively on the edges of the signatures, power means to rotate the cutters, a pusher device to advance signatures past the cutters, means to advance and retract the device, means to feed a supply of signatures ahead of the device when it is. retracted, holding means to hold advanced signae tures while the device is retracted, and means to detect the. absence of signatures ahead of the pusher device and to hold the holding device against withdrawal from holding position while the pusher device moves to advance.

3. To finish the edges of signatures, apparatus comprising a plurality of rotary cutters, means positioning the cutters to operate respectively on the edges of the signatures, power means to r0- tate the cutters, a pusher device to advance signatures past the cutters, the said device having a grooved pressure face, means to retract and advance the device, means to feed a supply of signatures ahead of the pressure face when the device is retracted, holding components to enter the grooves in said pressure face to press behind signatures already advanced and to hold those signatures while the pusher is retracted, means to move the holding components into and out of holding position in step with the operation of the pusher device, and means to detect the absence of signatures ahead of the pusher device and to hold the holding device against withdrawal from holding position while the pusher device moves to advance.

4. To finish the edges of signatures, apparatus comprising a plurality of rotary cutters, means positioning the cutters to operate respectively on the edges of the signatures, power means to rotate the cutters, a pusher device to advance signatures past the cutters, the said device having a grooved pressure face, means to retract and advance the device, an endless conveyor to receive signatures at one point in its travel, means to move the conveyor to deposit those signatures ahead or" the pusher device when it is retracted, holding components to enter the grooves in said pressure face to press behind signatures already advanced and to hold those signatures while the pusher is retracted, and means to move the hold-- ing components into and out of holding position in step with the operation of the pusher device.

5. To finish the edges of signatures, apparatus comprising a plurality of rotary cutters, means positioning the cutters to operate respectively on the edges or" the signatures, power means to rotate the cutters, a pusher device to advance signatures past the cutters, means to advance and retract the device, an endless conveyor to receive signatures at one point in its travel, means to move the conveyor to deposit those signatures ahead of the pusher device when it is retracted, holding means to hold advanced signatures while the device is retracted, and means to detect the absence of signatures ahead of the pusher device and to hold the holding device against withdrawal from holding position while the pusher device moves to advance.

6. To finish the edges of signatures, apparatus comprising a plurality of rotary cutters, means positioning the cutters to operate respectively on the edges of the signatures, power means to rotate the cutters, a pusher device to advance signatures past the cutters, the said device having a grooved pressure face, means to advance and retract the device, means to feed a supply of signatures ahead of the device when it is retracted, holding means to enter the grooves in said pressure face to press behind and to hold the advanced signatures while the pusher device is retracted, means to detect the absence of signatures ahead of the pusher device and to hold the holding device against withdrawal from holding position while the pusher devices moves to advance and a delivery device to which the signatures are advanced from the.

cutters, the said device being formed to set up resistance to the movement of the signatures.

7. To finish the edges of signatures, apparatus comprising a plurality of rotary cutters, means positioning the cutters to operate respectively on the edges of the signatures, power means to retate the cutters, a pusher device to advance signatures past the cutters, means to advance and retract the device, an endless'conveyor to receive signatures at one point in its travel, means to move the conveyor to deposit those signatures ahead of the pusher device when it is retracted, holding means to hold advanced signatures while the device is retracted and a delivery device to which the signatures are advanced from the cutters, the said device bein formed to set up resistance to the movement of the signatures.

8. In a signature trimming machine comprising cutters positioned to trim the edges of stacks of signatures fed along a table in succession, a conveyor arranged to receive a stack of signatures in superposed relation with the pages horizontally arranged and to deposit them on the table with the pages arranged vertically, a reciprocable pusher having a grooved face, and adapted to push the signatures along the table toward the cutters during a Working stroke and means movable in the grooved face to maintain pressure on the signatures during a return stroke of the pusher.

9. In a signature trimming machine comprising cutters positioned to trim the edges of stacks of signatures fed along a table in succession, a conveyor arranged to receive a stack of signatures in superposed relation with the pages horizontally arranged and to deposit them on the table with the pages arranged vertically, a reciprocable pusher having a grooved face, and adapted to push the signatures along the table toward the cutters during a working stroke, means movable in the groved face to maintain pressure on the signatures during a return stroke of the pusher, and a delivery having a resiliently walled outlet adapted to resist passage of the trimmed products.

JOHN ALBERT EDWARD BURLS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,218,044 Beaman Mar. 6, 191'! 1,698,537 Kessler Jan. 8, 1929 1,701,760 Paffen Feb. 12, 1929 1,889,925 McKaig Jan. 5, 1932 1.862360 Forte June 7, 1932 1,950,370 Mudd Mar. 6, 1934 2,324,930 Joa July 20, 1943 2,413,556 Fourness et a1 Dec. 31, 194-6 

